San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chis. Ten civil organizations and the vicarage of justice and peace of the local diocese, demanded “the immediate suspension of the San Cristóbal-Palenque highway project,” because “it represents a serious threat to the biodiversity of the region, the local ecosystems and the indigenous communities that have inhabited and protected these territories for generations”.
They warned “about the profound social and environmental impacts that this project – officially inaugurated on June 8 – will cause. Deforestation, fragmentation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity will be some of the irreversible consequences for the region”.
In addition, they said, “we fear that the indigenous communities will face dispossession of their territories, the loss of their traditional ways of life and an increase in conflict and social vulnerability, as has already been observed with other development projects”.
They assured that “instead of strengthening the wellbeing of these communities, the project does not take into account their needs, violating their autonomy and damaging their cultural heritage and common goods, the common home, Mother Earth. Development should not be limited to economic growth or the construction of infrastructure”.
Organized in the Platform for Peace in Chiapas Slamalil Kinal, the 10 organizations, among them the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba), Economic and Social Development of Indigenous Mexicans (DESMI) and Services and Advice for Peace (Serapaz), demanded the realization of “legitimate, prior, free and informed consent, in accordance with national and international standards; the protection of the territories, biodiversity and cultural heritage of the region, and a true development model that respects and benefits the native peoples, instead of violating their rights”.
They added: “We are concerned about consultations such as those coordinated by the government of the state of Chiapas, as they do not comply with national and international standards for prior, free, informed and culturally relevant consultation in areas where the majority of the population is indigenous. Carrying out a popular consultation excludes the effective participation of the peoples and communities that are directly affected, who also have their own idea of development or well-being”.
They affirmed that “indigenous and human rights communities and organizations have publicly expressed their rejection of the project and have filed injunctions against both the consultation process and the project itself”.
Original text by Elio Henríquez in La Jornada on July 8th, 2025.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.